Barcelona vs. Real Sociedad: 5 Players Barça Should Be Wary of

Barcelona is just days away from starting its 2012-2013 La Liga season. 

The club begins its hunt to recapture the league title against Real Sociedad on Sunday. I reviewed the probable starters in this article.

The last time these two faced off, Barcelona won a close contest after holding off a late comeback from the Basque.

This time around, Real Socidad is a bit stronger and wanting to start the season off on the right foot.

Barcelona will be a clear favorite, but there are a few Real players Tito Vilanova will need to look out for.

What follows are five players Barcelona will need to neutralize in order to take three points in the opener.

Xabier "Xabi" Prieto

Whether Prieto starts or comes off the bench, he is always a force in midfield.

The 28-year-old is creative, smart, and links up well. He is a threat in the air which automatically makes him dangerous against Barcelona.

My ideal front four would have Prieto partnering Antoine Griezmann on the wings with Gonazalo Castro in the middle behind Vela.

That might not happen as Vela could also be used out wide in a three-man attacking midfield set.

Regardless, having someone of Prieto's quality even to pull off the bench can cause problems for la Blaugrana.

Iñigo Martinez

Martinez will be Barcelona's main obstacle in the final third.

He is not a very tall defender, but Barcelona does not play a lot of aerial balls so that will not be a huge factor.

Blocked Shots and Interceptions

It is Martinez's footwork and positioning that will be his strengths against the Catalans.

He is a great shot blocker and can make some key saving tackles—the same tackles that lead him to foul often.

Attack

Martinez likes to venture forward in attack and while that can leave his team vulnerable, it is usefull to have a strong guy like him to anchor the attack.

It helps that he is a pretty solid passer and that will open up opportunities from the back.

Antoine Griezmann

The 21-year-old Frenchman is aiming for a big season and will look to start out his upcoming season in a big way.

Griezmann will be a problem for Barcelona for a few reasons.

Work Rate

He has finally gotten better at tracking back and helping start the attack from deeper in the pitch. He is never afraid to make a tackle and that will help his team's outmatched midfield.

Versatility

He is great on both sides of Real's false wings. He and Castro have the ability to switch off throughout the night, targeting the weakest flank for Barcelona on the counter attack.

Aerial Balls

This one is the biggest threat to Barcelona for sure. Griezmann is a solid crosser and not too bad with free kicks either. Both of those will be a weakness for Barcelona.

Gonzalo "Chori" Castro Irizabal

One thing Real Sociedad lacks is a top class central attacking midfielder.

Xabi Prieto works best from the right side, typically in a deeper role, while Antoine Griezmann performs best on the wing himself.

Fortunately for the Basque club, they do have a bit of versatility. Griezmann is known to try his hand in the middle and Prieto often works more centrally during matches.

Versatility and Defense

With Gonzalo Castro, they have another versatile player who provides a lot of flexibility mid-match.

Most of Castro's assists and goals come when he plays on the left, but he is still very capable of filling a more central role.

Chances are that all three attacking midfielders will interchange throughout the match against Barcelona

He is a hard worker off the ball and does well to regain possession in the middle of the pitch.

Crosses and Shooting

Castro is a great crosser so, much like Griezmann, he will be testing Barcelona's central defense through the air pretty often.

He is also known to test the keeper from distance, which makes him a threat to Barcelona, as long as tacklers like Javier Mascherano are not on the Uruguayan outside of the box.

Carlos Vela

Carlos Vela finally has a permanent home and that stability can only help the Mexican international.

Teamwork

Vela is no Messi, but he is a solid passer who is great at finding teammates in the box. If he can create some space for Griezmann, Castro and the rest, Vela can provide a key pass to set up a goal for his club.

Pace and Position

Vela is not the fastest player, but he is quick enough to cause problems for Barcelona.

Javier Mascherano was very important last season, but one area where he struggled was positioning—specifically against lone forwards on counter attacks.

Vela presents that threat for the Argentinian. He is fast, can take advantage of Mascherano's poor positioning and is clinical enough to take advantage of just a few chances.

Of course, this is all with the assumption that he will play up front and not on the wing with Imanol Agirretxe as the lone striker.

If the latter is the case, that could mean sending Prieto to the bench. Agirretxe has had a solid preseason so he very well may start against Barcelona.

Follow @MichaelCernaBR